THE REIGN OF WOMEN

S1 EP14: High Waters

502 AD, Nightfall, Eternos

  First thing in the morning, Sapphira remembered awakening by the Prince's bedside. His chest was warm, and his heart was beating serenely. She could not have enough of her well-spent nights with Prince Remus, and she prayed for many more to come.

Setting her chin above his chest, Sapphira watches the Prince sleep. "Are you staring at me?"

"Am I?" Sapphira asks smiling as she watches him open one eye to glance at her.

"Good Morrow, Darling." He says taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Good Morrow, your Royal Highness." She playfully says.

Forcing herself to sit up, Sapphira ran a hand through her messy hair before glancing at the Prince, "Come, you must make haste."

Reaching for Sapphira's arm, Prince Remus caresses her and tiredly moans, "Stay longer,"

She wished to stay longer, she wished to stay forever, but Prince Remus was an official member of the Imperial Council, which implicated him in political matters, and Sapphira was a Servant of his Household. Both had their equal share of duties, some harder than others. "You have duties, as do I,"

With a knock on the door, both opened wide open, and one of the Door Guards, marched in backward, considering that Sapphira had spent the night. "Your Royal Highness, Overseer Considia wishes to see you."

If he wished to turn around and roam the Chambers freely, he would have to become an eunuch like Sümbüla had, but even then, he had many official restrictions. Sümbüla, too had restrictions but considering his friendship with Sapphira, he often did not consider them.

Sümbüla had been warned before but it made no difference. Sapphira was no Imperial Member, she could not have him legally charged for anything unless approved by the King, Queen, Crown Prince, or the Imperial Council. "Send her away."

With his back turned to Prince Remus and Sapphira, the Guard bows and marches out of the Chambers to inform Overseer Considia of his decision.

"Who is in there with him?" Overseer Considia asks, attempting to look over the shoulder of the Guard.

Overseer Considia had an idea of who could be with the Prince at such an early time of the morning, but she did not want to believe it until it was confirmed. "Answer me!"

Retaining his previous position, the Guard responds with his head low, "Lady Sapphira."

The Guards had come to know Sapphira very well, through her many visits, day and night. "She is no Lady. She is a slave!"

With her Kaftan on, Sapphira assists Prince Remus with his own. Most of the time it was Aleksander who helped him dress but considering she was already in the Chambers, she could do it herself. "When the child is born, what will happen to me?"

She often wondered if anything would change when the child was born. Would she be around as she is now? "You will still be my woman. Child or no Child."

Buttoning up Prince Remus's Kaftan, Sapphira proceeded. "Have you chosen any names?"

No matter how much she disliked the child's mother, the father she loved, and the baby she would too. "If it is to be a boy, he will be named Demos, and a girl, perhaps Lysandra."

Prince Demos and Princess Lysandra sounded beautiful in her ears. Her envy ran thick. She envied the woman carrying the child she was not. Was she not favored by their Gods? Was it because she was Grysha?

She acknowledged that no Grysha, and no Mareki, would ever be favored or recognized unless converted to the Faith of the Five Gods. King Artos Stark made this very clear during his reign.